Additional Background
Malaysia's magnificent Belum-Temengor rainforests are 130 million year old,
making them some of the richest and most ancient rainforests in the world.
Located in Perak state along the Thailand border of Peninsular Malaysia,
Belum-Temengor's 300,000 hectares of ancient rainforest consists of the Royal
Belum State Park (but not officially gazetted) and the Temengor Forest Reserve
(as a 'Forest Reserve' not totally protected). Belum Temengor rainforests are a
world-class wilderness with tremendous ecological, aesthetic and economic values
including immense tourism potential. Sadly, this large and intact
life-sustaining ancient rainforest marvel is now under threat from both legal
and illegal industrial logging.
Malaysia is one of 12 "mega-diversity" countries, placing Belum-Temengor amongst
the "richest of the rich" biological resources on the planet. Belum-Temengor's rainforests
provide the last refuge for at least 14 globally threatened mammals including
the Sumatran rhino, the Malayan tiger, the Asian elephant, tapirs and leopards.
This is the only place in Malaysia where all 10 of Malaysia’s hornbills are
found, flying in flocks of more than 2,000, something not found anywhere else in
the world. It is home to various species of flora - from the Rafflesia, the
largest flower in the world, to the Cycads, the oldest plants on earth.
Belum-Temengor is a cachment area for major rivers in Perak, and home to
tremendous cultural diversity including the Orang Asli indigenous peoples.
Despite rising wealth and environmental sensibilities, Malaysia still continues
the low value and unsustainable practice of industrially logging their and
others' ancient rainforests. This type of poorly conceived industrial
development is highly damaging to Belum-Temengor and its ability to continue
providing critical local, regional and global ecosystem services such as carbon
storage, water cachment, and maintaining wildlife and biodiversity while
continuing local sustainable uses and business opportunities. Belum-Temengor
rainforests are critical to the ecology, economy and security of the Malaysian
nation. Continuous logging will lead to loss of wildlife and plant species,
fouling of water and river siltation, and foreclose more long-term benefits
flowing from these unique intact rainforests, which are growing increasingly
scarce across Asia.
Please respectfully support local initiatives to have Belum-Temengor declared a
National Park - Malaysia's strictest type of forest protection - and an end to
logging in order to pursue eco-tourism and other ecologically based and
sustainable economic development opportunities. Specifically, the alert below
asks that the Malaysian government immediately stop all logging activities in
the area in order to: gazette the Royal Belum State Park, extend the Royal Belum
State Park to include the Temengor Forest Reserve, and develop a management plan
based upon local-small scale ecologically based uses. Malaysians are justifiably
a fiercely proud people that may be offended if not addressed courteously. Your
email will be sent to local conservationists in order to sign their petition to
protect the area, as well as to Malaysia's government, media and tourism
authorities through numerous channels.
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Vast hornbill flocks deserve a place to live as well!
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